From November 2020: I have been away from my country, family, and friends for the past 7 years. The years being away from our home and from my family passed in the blink of an eye. I did not realize how much I miss my family: my mom’s picture made me realize how much I missed so many things. I honestly cried when I saw her picture because the only face I remember was when she had black hair, not many wrinkles and a big tummy (sorry mom)! Now I look at her and I almost did not recognize her because her hair turned gray and she looks like she lost so many pounds. I told myself: “is that 7 years already? It feels like yesterday.” I remember the time before I left the Philippines. I asked my mom to sign the paperwork for me to prove that my parents allowed me to leave the country to marry Steve. My mom asked me 3 or 4 times are you sure you want to do this? I said yes. She asked me if I knew how to cook, because she said: “I know you can’t even cook rice!” Without second thoughts I answered her with yes. Her last question before she signed the paperwork was: “do you know what it feels like to be wife?” I said: “Maybe.” Now I would say in my more than 7 years of living in US, the question that keeps coming back to me is: “why did she ask me that question?” I guess she didn’t want me to get married only to come back to them later. My husband helps me a lot in the household, but mom’s care of being with your family is so different. I feel like I miss them so much now that I am an adult. I realize that we don’t always have them by our side to teach us life lessons. I’m not a perfect daughter, but I love her so much and I’m not sure if she is aware of it ? I just become emotional. I miss them a lot so please social distance so we can get past COVID and I can go home to visit them.
